This man needs no introduction. Sir Richard Branson is a business magnate, investor and philanthropist and the founder of the massive Virgin Group. As a man who is renown for his PR stunts and his 15-minute increment schedules, another thing he is loud about is his disgust for the necktie.

Branson has gone to the lengths of literally carrying a pair of scissors in his breast pocket just incase he catches a glimpse of a tie in the area.

This is what he has to say about them:

“I don’t know why the tie was ever invented,” Branson told Bloomberg in 2012. It’s about one of the few things that Britain has exported successfully and it completely destroyed those lovely robes that the Japanese used to wear, and now everyone looks the same and dresses the same.”

I'll level with you on this one. I've always been a Gordon Ramsay fan. But Jamie Oliver has charmed me over with his antipasto platters, simple to follow recipes and public statements of discomfort for wearing ties.

Robert Peston is most known for being the BCC's Economic Editor and rebels against the use of the necktie. Preston is also the founder of the Education charity, Speakers for Schools, political editor of ITV News and host of the weekly show Peston on Sunday.

The following is an article that discusses the etiquette towards donning a tie.

Peston actually mentions something very important when it comes to professionalism, image and the necktie.

"I don’t really like wearing a tie. The notion that what makes you a serious journalist is wearing a tie is bonkers.”

It's Bonkers, I Tell You!

What he's basically saying is; you don't need a necktie or any kind of neckwear to be viewed as a professional in journalism. And I believe that goes for any profession in that matter. What makes you seen as professional is your deliverance of results in your field and professional appearance.

With or without the necktie.

Sure the tie "can" make you seem more professional, but at the end of the day, why would you want to wear one when it's completely uncomfortable and still look sharp without one.

Brady is basically a disciple of our most renowned no-tie-guy Sir Richard Branson and thus, a huge contributor to the no tie movement. Currently, his role is the head of operations at the Velocity Frequent Flyer at Virgin Group.

Brady isn't as vocal about his no tie rule, but he mentions it here and there. Especially, on his Twitter Bio which says he wears a "Suit No Tie" which is the majority of the male corporate world.

And you want to prevent either of these situations occurring. *kidding*

But Abbasi mentions a very fair point. The formality of the tie and when to wear has become increasingly exclusive. Nowadays, barely would a man of any profession, even the Prime Minister of Pakistan, in fact, would wear a tie.

"Pictures splashed across of the media showed the prime minister meeting representatives of other countries and diplomats without a tie. In fact, even in Pakistan, he has never been spotted wearing ties by anyone."

It says a lot about Abbasi's integrity and character to go against the majority of men and women at the event. Most if not all were wearing ties.

The Director of Men's Fashion from the oldest US department store jeopardizes the sales of ties by saying that it's way out of date!

If Mui hasn't been able to convince you, check out tie sales figures from The New Daily:

"By 2008, the market had halved, with sales at $US677.77 million ($A885.5 million) – and, according to a Gallup poll, only 6 per cent of men were wearing ties in the American workplace down from 10 per cent in 2002."

That was back in 2008. I've searched long and hard for tie sales figures nearer to our date, but to no success. When I do, I'll be sure to update this blog post or if you do, please send me a personal email OR comment on our no-tie-guy spreadsheet.

The image says it all. Similar to our favourite previously mentioned Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, José Mujica shares the same disinterest in ties. Mujica is an Uruguayan politician and former President of Uruguay between 2010 to 2015.

Alexis Tsipras is the current Prime Minister of Greece (as of 2018) and has been since September 2015.

Here's what he says about neckties:

“I think that if there is something that people appreciate in Syriza and me, it is that we haven’t assumed this mentality of establishment parties, with specific ways to dress, to act,”.

Please keep in mind that when I mention these politicians, I'm not taking any political sides. But the removal of the tie really is a tactic to get on the same level as the public.

More professionals nowadays are turning towards being on the same level as their clients and customers. At the end of the day, this is what customers/clients want. A healthy "level" relationship between the professional and themselves.

And it's a common trend.

In my personal opinion, Tammy Haddad says it best. Haddad is the founder and CEO of Haddad Media in Washington DC. She's also a former MSNBC political director and is an HBO consultant on political shows including Veep and The Brink.

Another reference from the ExecutiveStyle blog that Tammy Haddad was quoted also includes Bennet Ratcliff. Ratcliff is an international political consultant and is the founder of Thaw Strategies, an organisation dedicated to risk mitigation.

"I once had a president spend 15 minutes talking to me about his tie when we could have been discussing the language of a peace accord."

Instead of being self conscious about your decision of what tie to wear today, why not just leave the tie at home and dedicating time on important matters.

Neckties don't actually make you sharper or look more professional. As many of our previously listed political no tie advocates have already mentioned, the tie makes the wearer look robotic rather than humane.

Fred Hoiberg is a former basketball player and is now the head coach for the Chicago Bulls. Now you're probably wondering why a basketball coach is on this list, but coaches still practice a profession and always wear suits when it's game day.

But his mention for not wearing a tie isn't for his image in front of the public eye, but more so for his health.

Hoiberg has a heart condition that makes him lightheaded when wearing a tie due to a problematic ticker and restraint in his neck from wearing one.

“I got a little light-headed with it on. The valve in my heart was in really bad condition last year, so that was a big part of it. But not wearing a tie was just so much more comfortable for me. I feel it every time my heart beats. Every time. Since the very first surgery, I feel every beat. For me, it’s a comfort thing. I’ve talked to my doctors about it, and they said they are more comfortable with me not wearing a tie.”

Thus, ties don't just provide a humane image with politicians and professionals but also provide "comfort". Especially, when with dangerous health conditions.

Dean Jones is the Co-Founder and CEO of Glam Corner. He's also a former investment banker turned fashion entrepreneur. Since entering the fashion game, he claims that he's NEVER worn a tie since his career transition!

Mark Heyes is a well known Scottish fashion expert and TV presenter for GMTV. Heres what he has to say about the 21st century and men wearing ties:

“If you look at men’s style icons like Daniel Craig and David Beckham they are very pared back and clean cut. Unless they’re at black tie events you don’t see them wear ties anymore. There’s also a strong sportswear influence in men’s fashion at the moment so I see a lot of men wearing smart polo tops, trousers and jackets, minus the tie.”

There's nothing much to elaborate here as Heyes covers it thoroughly in under 60 words. Celebrities and sports stars such as Daniel Craig and David Beckham keep their ties reserved for formal events.

In Summary

The list goes on-and-on. Because of this, we understand that there will continually be new men appearing in their fields advocating the necktie's demise. Thus, we will continue to update this list as we find new members to add.

Additionally, if you feel there's anyone we're missing shoot us a comment down below or on the No-Tie Google Spreadsheet. We'll add them to this blog and onto the list ASAP.